March Newsletter: The California Issue

This month, we announce a major new partner in California and build up to the fitness industry’s biggest event in San Diego. We’ve also got some exciting company news, and tips for staying fit on your California road trip.

This March, it’s all about California at TrainAway. With 40 million residents and an 840 mile coastline, it’s no wonder California has global reach. In fact, if California was a country it would be the world’s 5th largest economy. So we’re hugely excited to be making waves on America’s pacific coast.

In-Shape Joins the TrainAway Platform

California is a fitness mecca, central to so many titans of the fitness industry. Fitness culture here is among the strongest in the world, so we’re delighted to announce a partnership with one of the state’s strongest players: In-Shape Health Clubs. With 66 clubs across the state, your’re never too far from an In-Shape club – which is great news for the traveling fitness enthusiast.

With state of the art facilities that cater for all kinds of fitness goals, In-Shape’s values align strongly with TrainAway’s commitment to flexibility and inclusion. Making visitors feel welcome and part of a community, we’re confident that TrainAway users will have a great experience at In-Shape.

According to TrainAway COO Kristian Toft, “The partnership with In-Shape is great not only gives TrainAway vital presence in California, but they’re also precisely the kind of clubs that work so well on the platform. Easily accessible, with fantastic staff and great facilities, we look forward to guiding many travelers towards In-Shape clubs in the future.”

TrainAway in San Diego for the IHRSA Convention

From 13-16 March the most influential personalities in the global fitness club industry will descend on San Diego. IHRSA (International Health, Racquet, and Sports Club Association) is the largest representative body for fitness organisations in the world, and the Convention is their annual meeting. With over 10,000 attendees from more than 80 countries, it is the fitness industry’s premier event.

Co-founders Kenn Gudbergsen and Alexander Schrøder will both be attending, as the convention provides the perfect forum to catch-up with TrainAway’s many partners from around the world. It also gives a great platform to talk further about the IHRSA Passport Program, powered by TrainAway. Having launched in January, the program allows members of fitness clubs to get discounted access to other clubs when traveling. With over 500 clubs on-boarded so far, the program has made a great start – but there is still room for many more to join. Kenn and Alexander can both be reached on LinkedIn.

Founders Named Fitness Industry Rising Stars

Kenn and Alexander will also be in San Diego celebrating their most recent award. The TrainAway founders have been awarded IHRSA’s Rising Star 2019 prize. This recognizes their work both in building the TrainAway platform and in developing the IHRSA Passport Program in co-operation with the IHRSA team. After only 2 years, TrainAway is now active in 25 countries, and is helping thousands of travelers around the world.

Kenn said of the award, “Both Alexander and I are hugely honored to be recognized in this way, particularly as it comes from our peers in the fitness industry. We’re particularly grateful to Jay Ablondi and Tara Verity at IHRSA for the opportunity to digitalize the Passport Program.”

4 tips for keeping fit on your California road trip

Highway 1 in California

California is a vast state, and one of the best places to road trip anywhere in the world. If you’re tempted to hire a Mustang and take on the thousands of miles of Highway 1 and Route 66, you definitely won’t be the only one. However, the food options along the way aren’t always the healthiest, so it might be good to think about how you’ll stay active on the road. Here are four things you can do:

Plan ahead: Designate time in your schedule for working out, and stick to it. Spontaneous workouts aren’t too common on the road!

Be flexible: Adjust your routine to the facilities available, and don’t worry if it’s not exactly what you would do at home.

Keep it short: It’s important to exercise, but don’t let it dominate your vacation. A short, focused workout will yield good results and leave you more time for the fun stuff.

Research before you go: Find out where the gyms are along your route before you go, and build this into your plan. Of course, the TrainAway App will help you with this.